Dishwashing apparatus



APHA m A953 E. J. cULLlGAN Er Al.

DISHWASHING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1947 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENToRs Emme Comeau THoms immens Pril 10, 1951 E. J. CULLIGAN Er Al. @543mm DIsHwAsHING APPARATUS Filed June s, 1947 5 sheets-sheet z Wwf @Hom e9 April 10, 195i E. J. CULLIGAN ET A1. 21.548,10@

DISHWSHING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 `{NVENTORS EMME .CuLua AN Tnom; E CULLmAN Ac'kov neg Patented pr. l0, 1951 naar msnWAsHING APPARATUS Emmett J. Culligan and Thomas E. Culligan, San Bernardino, Calif., assignors to E. J. -Culligan Benevolent Foundation, San Bernardino, Calif.

Application .lune 6, 1947, Serial No. 753,070

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to a dish washing apparatus. The object of the invention is to provide a compact container adapted to be set upon the drainboard of a kitchen sink so as to discharge the Waste water into the sink, and to create in this container a violently moving body of intimately mixed air and water Vwhich moves in a revolving mass generally upwardly to discharge at the top of the container. The container preferably employs no racking means, and the dishes are placed therein indiscriminately as taken from the table, except, of course,

that dishes of the same order--plates, saucers, glassesare not nested. There is no moving part Within the container. The violent movement of intermixed air and water is obtained fromV a. jet kof water from the household water supply passing through a nozzle or Venturi tube to which air is admitted from outside the container preferably from a point above the level of the upper part of the container.

Heretofore, dish washing apparatus has been complicated and expensive, embodying moving parts, which, because they operate in water, quickly get out of order. Such machines have always required, as an absolute necessity, racking means in the container for holding the dishes in predetermined fixed spaced positions. This has resulted in dish washing machines of limited capacity, which are too expensive to be purchased for families of an average, moderate income,

which, because of the necessity for racking the preferably without racking. A mixture of air and Water is introduced into the container through a nozzle which penetrates the container adjacent its lower extremity and is arranged to inject the mixture in a revolving mass which rises over the dishes while passing in intimate contact with all of the surfaces of the dishes. As the revolving mass of mixed Water and air together with a suitable detergent passes over the dishes the food particles and residual matter is cleaned from the dishes and is either entrained in the cleaning solution or will float on the upper surface thereof and by virtue oi the revolving action of the cleaning solution will tend to move towards the outer wall of the container. A large Weir-like opening is provided in the container adjacent its upper extremity through which the detergent solution and the residual particles may pass outwardly for disposal and without creating pressure within the container. The container is also provided with a relativelyr large disposal outlet duct adjacent its lower extremity and at one side of the nozzle so as to dump or dispose of all the detergent solution after the dishes have been properly washed and while water and air are still being introduced through the nozzle.

We have found by this arrangement that table dishes may be suitably and quickly washed with the use of a relatively small quantity of water and using only a relatively small amount of detergent material. The revolving mass of water, air and detergent suds forms a scrubbing action on all of the surfaces of the dishes, and the air particles 'carried in the mixture aids in producing an extraordinarily eflicient cleaning action which f, is not found when Water is used alone or merely in admixture with detergent.

We further discovered that, while a degree of dish washing efficiency may be accomplished With our invention where ordinary tap water is used, far better results follow the use of soft water, that is, normally water from the system which has been passed through what is known as a zeolite Water softener. That is, an arrangement such that the Water passes through a bed of zeolite and the minerals which produce hardness are removed therefrom. With the use of such hotI soft Water, the complete washing of all the ordinary dishes used in connection with a home meal may be effected in a few minutes time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a domestic dishwasher in the form of a container having a substantially cylindrical inner wall in which a mixture of air and water is introduced into the container adjacent its lower extremity through a nozzle which is disposed to form a revolving rising mass that is adapted to pass upwardly over a group of dishes to cleanse the surface of the dishes and in which the excess of the mass is discharged through a large opening in the container adjacent its upper extremity until the dishes are cleansed, after which the remainder of the mass is rapidly disposed of through a second large opening in the container adjacent its lower wall, and while water and air are still being injected into the container.

Another objectl of our invention is to provide a dish washing apparatus embodying a container wherein the entire space within the container is available for receiving dishes and into which the dishes may be placed without racking.

It is a further object of our invention to provide means adapted to be connected with the hot water faucet of a water system, wherein the hot Water has been softened before coming to the faucet, and providing means for delivering the Water into the bottom of the container intimately mixed with large volumes of air.

It is a further object of our invention to employ a jet nozzle, in association with a Venturi tube and with an air delivery tube, to produce the aforesaid mixture of water particles and air.

It is a further object of our invention to provide an overow outlet near the top of the container such that the intermixed water and air and the suds from soap employed will gradually be expelled from the container until the water therein is freed from soap and substantially freed from matter removed from the dishes.

It is a further object of our invention to provide an outlet at the bottom of the container together with means for holding it closed when the washing operation is taking place and for opening it to permit drainage from the container, while the injection of water and air from the Venturi tube continues to take place.

The full objects and advantages or our invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof given in the appended specication, and the important and advantageous novel features of our invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a schematic elevation of our invention as applied and used in connection with a standard kitchen sink and a water system adapted to furnish softened hot water.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of our invention in position on the drainboard of a kitchen sink.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation view taken of the structure shown in Fig. 2 and showing a.

general View of the dishes in the container.

Fig. 5 is an elevation View of the washing appliance viewed toward the discharge and drainage openings.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation view showing the bottom drainage duct closed.

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation view similar to Fig. 6 showing the bottom drainage duct held open.

As illustrated in Fig. l, a sink cabinet IZB is provided with a sink H (illustrated in dotted line), with drainboards I2 and I3, and storage cabinets I5 and i5. A faucet Il is adapted to deliver cold water from a water system by means not shown. A faucet I8 is adapted to deliver hot water.

The water going to faucet I8 is delivered from a conventional water system through a pipe I9, to a zeolite water softener 2E? through which the water is slowly caused to move from the lower part of the tank 25 through beds of zeolite (not shown) within tank 2i! to a discharge pipe 2| substantially at the top of the water softener tank Eil.

The pipe I9 is removably secured at 22 to the tank 29 and the pipe 2I likewise is removably secured at 23 to the tank 25. A valve 2 shuts off the water to pipe I9 and a valve 25 shuts off the water to pipe 2l and an extension 26 thereof which at 2'! enters a water heater 28.

The purpose of the above described arrangement of removable connections and closure faucets is to permit the softener tank 20 and its contents readily to be removed and replaced by another tank with reactivated or fresh zeolite therein, whenever the zeolite in the tank becomes vitiated by continued use,

The water heater 23 may be any standard water heater such for example as a gas heater supplied with gas from a pipe 30 which heats the water going through it to a quite high temperature before it is delivered from the water heater to a delivery pipe 3l. The pipe 3i, as shown schematically in Fig. l, delivers to and through faucet i8 normally to discharge into the sink II.

The water, from the softening apparatus used, in cooperation with the hot water coming from the means above indicated, goes through a removable pipe connection 33 into a dish container .B in a. manner which will hereinafter be described. The dish container 3d is a member having vertically extending cylindrical walls 34', a flat bottoni and a rolled-over top edge 36. A cover member 37 of any desired standard construction is provided with a down-turned annular 3S which has a reasonably tight fit over the turned-over edge A handle 3S on the tcp of cover 31 adapts the cover readily to be placed in position as a closure for the container er removed therefrom to open the top for free when the dishes are placed within the container and taken therefrom. Container 34 is provided with side handles 82, 83.

The means of delivering the water to the chamber de, formed by the cylindrical Walls 34', the bottom 35 and the cover 37, is shown in section in Figs. 3 and e and in plan in Fig. 2. These means comprise an aspirator or Venturi nozzle indicated by general reference numeral 6I composed of a tubular casting 42 having an annular iiange d3 for securing the casting d2 to the cylindrical wall and having formed therein a chamber Cid with a conical extension 45 which opens through a narrowed opening 46 into a tube discharge extension di,

The direction in which the extension lll extends into the chamber di) is tangentially along the inner cylindrical wall 3d of the container 34 and produces a whirling vortex which brings the violently moving water and air against all surfaces of the dishes no matter how they may be placed in the container.

The Venturi arrangement, Figs. 3 and 4, includes a second casting d3, which has a central passageway le leading to a nozzle 50. This nozzle is provided with a small opening 5I directed into the chamber ifi along the axial center of the tube 4?, The casting 48 has an annular ange 52 which seats against the cylindrical top end 53 of the casting 42 and is threaded externally to screw into the internally threaded end of casting 42 and bring the flange 52 firmly in contact with the end wall 53 of said casting.

A packing nut 54 of usual construction has its internally extended annular flange 55 in engagement with an annular ange 56 forming part of an outwardly extending nipple 5l'. The packing nut is internally threaded and is screwed upon external threads formed about the outer portion of casting d8. flanges 55 and 5S produces a water and air-tight seal about the internal passageway 59 through nipple 51 to the chamber 49 within casting 48.

A gasket 58 between thev The hose 33 is of elastic material such as rubber, and has an expansion t on the nipple 51. The other end of this hose has a removable screw-set, leak-tight connection at 33 with the hot water faucet I8.

A tube 6i) is provided with an open-topped air vent 6I which opens into chamber 44 as clearly shown in Fig. 5, This tube is supported at its bottom on casting 42 and may be supported towards its top by a bracket member 63.

The above construction provides what is known as an aspirator or venturi in which water under substantial pressure such as is found in practically all water systems, discharges at high speed through the jet opening 5| across the expanded chamber 44. Y This jet seizes the air entering the chamber 44 through tube 6U and discharges the air and water as an intimate mixture through the extension 41.

The water and air enter the washing chamber 4E! at the end S2 of the Venturi tube 41, and the mixture of water and air is moved through the chamber 4t and about the dishes therein in a violently turbulent surge of hot water and air in a revolving mass which brings the mixed water and air about all surfaces of the dishes, no matter how they have been placed in the container.

In practice, a small amo-unt of soap, less than a teaspoonful of any standard powdered soap or soap flakes, is indicated at 63 of Figs. 2, 3, and 4, as being placed on the bottom 35 in line with the stream of mixed water and air from the'venturi. This soap is immediately taken up by the inrushing air and water. This mass quickly fills chamber 40, and contacts all surfaces of the dishes as placed indiscriminately within chamber 40 in the container.

At the top of said chamber andrbelow the cover is an elongated rectangular weir-like opening 64 shown in cross section in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 1, and in full elevation in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 1, the opening 64 is faced toward the edge of the drainboard into sink I I.

Container 3d is provided with a large drainage valve 65 shown best in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. It comprises a casting 65 adapted to fit and be fastened to the walls 34 and the bottom 35, as indicated at 61 and 68, and is curved to adapt itself to the curved walls 34. The valve 65 is hinged at 69 to open outwardly to clear an opening 10 from the chamber 40. v

A handle rod 1I is freely c-onnected at 12 to a rigid eyepiece 13 on the valve 55. The rod 1I eX-v tends through a slot 14 in a bracket 15 secured to and extending outwardly from the upper part of front vertical wall 34'. The rod 1I is provided with a notch 15 which is adapted to engage over aV spring member 11 held on the bracket 15 by means of a rivet or screw bolt 18.

A spring 19 engages the lower side of bracket 15 and a retainer ring 85 on the rod 1I normally presses the valve 65 into `closing position. When it is desired to open the valve 65, by a handle portion BI the rod is pulled up and the valve 65 swung to its open position of Fig. '1 until the notch 16 on rod 1I c-omes above the spring detent 11 on bracket 15, in which position the spring holds the rod with the valve 65 open as heretofore indicated and as shown in Fig. 7.

In operation, container 34 may be manually carried to the table or other place where dishes are located and the dishes placed in the container, preferably in an unracked condition as disclosed in Fig. 4. Thereafter cover 31 is placed on the container and the container is positioned 6 on one of the drainboards I2, I3 of a conventional kitchen sink in the manner disclosed in Fig. 1. The rubber conduit 33 is initially secured to the hot water faucet I8 by means of the coupling 33' and the other end of conduit 33 is inserted over the outwardly extending nipple 51 of the nozzle 4I. A small quantity of detergent is placed in the container 34, preferably before placing the dishes therein, and it will be noted in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 that the detergent is in line with the extension 41 of the nozzle so as to be picked up by water and air being emitted from the nozzle. It

will be particularly noted in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 that the nozzleis arranged to inject the air-water mixture into the container 34 so as to form a revolving mass within the container. As shown, this is accomplished by tangentially inserting the nozzle through the side of container 34. When water which has been softened in the water softening tank ZIJ and heated, in the heater 28 enters the nozzle it will be under considerable pressure and will aspirate or draw air kfrom the chamber 44, which air becomes intimate'y admixed with the water in the extension 41. As the rotating mass rises over the dishes it passes ,in intimate contact with all of the surfaces thereof and will loosen or scrub residual food particles including grease if the same be present. Centrifugal force of the revolving mass will cause the grease and food particles to be moved outwardly towards the side walls 34' of the container so that when the water level reaches the Weir-like opening 6d it will flow by gravity through this opening carrying therewith the residual food particles and grease which will be in a floating condition on top of the water. The washing operation continues for only a short time to assure proper cleansing of the dishes and by actual test it has been determined that softened water containing a detergent and admixed with air, in the manner described, fully and completely; cleanses table dishes in a very short time. Thereafter the large gate valve 65 is moved to an open position through means of the manually operable linkage, to permit discharge of the cleansing solutionfrom the bottom of the container and while water and air are still being injected through the nozzle 4I. To accomplish this it is, of course, necessary that the opening 10 have a vgreater discharge capacity than nozzle 4I. With the cleansing solution revolving about the dishes we have found that all of the residual ma* terial is maintained at the side of the container and does not settle on the dishes as the water level is reduced. The gate valve 55 is maintained in an open position and the operation of the nozzle is continued to assure removal of all residual food lparticles from the container. Thereafter faucet I8 is closed and tube 33 is removed from the nipple 51, and preferably connected to an ordinary hand held spray nozzle, not shown, to spray hot water over the dishes -to assure absolute removal of detergent suds which might have settled on the dishes. Thereafter the dishes are placed in a rack or may, if desired, be placed directly in a storage cabinet.

An advantage of our invention comes from the fact that it uses very little soap, particularly true when soft water is employed, as it should be in the practice of the method of this invention. This contrasts very sharply with other dish washing devices, in which a soap solution s continually added to the 'water going to the dishes (in sprays of various sorts and kinds) and immediately wastes away. Here al1 of the soap used is kept in contact with the dishes, yprincipally in the form of suds. These suds with water and air mixed and in violent motion completely lill the chamber within the container and about the dishes and slowly discharge until the dish Washing is fully completed.

The nal highly important advantage comes from the fact, which will be obvious from a mere inspection of the invention, that the cost of the complete apparatus is low and hence it can be manufactured and sold at a price which families of moderate means can afford to pay.

We claim:

1. In ak dishwasher, in combination, a container having a bottom wall and a, substantially cylindrical side wall, a nozzle extending tangentially through the side wall adjacent its lower extremity and having means for discharging a mixture of Water and air into the lower portion of the container to form a rising revolving mass within the container, said container adjacent its upper limits having a Weir-like discharge passage of greater discharge capacity than the nozzle and forming a free discharge from the upper edges of the mass, said container adjacent its lower limits having a second discharge opening of larger capacity than the discharge capacity of the nozzle for permitting discharge of the mass while the nozzle is operative, and valve means operably asasociated with said second opening.

2. In a dish washer, in combination a container having a bottom wall and a substantially cylindrical side wall, a nozzle extending from a source of water and air through the side wall adjacent its lower extremity and discharging tangentially into the lower portion of the container to form a rising revolving mass within the container, said container adjacent its upper limits having a large discharge passage of greater discharge capacity than the nozzle and forming a free discharge from the upper edges of the mass, said container adjacent its lower limits having a second discharge opening of larger capacity than the discharge capacity of the nozzle for permitting discharge of the mass while the nozzle is operative, and valve means operably associated with said second opening In a dish washer, in combination, a container having a bottom wall and a substantially cylindrical side wall, a Venturi type nozzle connected to a pressurized source of water and having means for entraining air in admiXture with the water, said nozzle extending through the side wall of the container adjacent its lower extremity and discharging the mixture of water and air tangentially into the lower portion of the container to form a rising revolving mass within the container, said container adjacent its upper limits having a discharge passage or" greater discharge capacity than the nozzle and forming a free discharge from the upper edges of the mass, said container adjacent its lower limits havinga second discharge opening of larger capacity than the discharge capacity of the nozzle for permitting discharge of the mass while the nozzle is operative, and valve means operably associated with said second opening.

EMMETT J. CULLIGAN. THOMAS E. CULLIGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 51,000 Alexander Nov. 21, 1865 329,452 Haskins Nov. 3, 1885 654,647 Koppelmann July 31, 1900 879,144 Chamberlin Feb. 18, 1908 937,363 Desjardins Oct. 19, 1999 1,249,740 Levett Sept. 18, 1917 1,439,823 Kaufmann Dec. l2, 1922 1,450,054 Titus Mar. 27, 1923 1,526,179 Parr et al Feb. 10, 1025 1,591,314 H-uddle July 6, 1926 1,852,179 McDonald Apr, 5, 1932 1,865,289 Trowbridge June 28, 1932 1,916,806 Myrick July 4, 1933 2,044,132 Stoddard June 16, 1936 2,212,559 Ehret Aug. 27, 1940 2,241,337 Work May 6, 1941 2,276,670 Reifenberg et al. Mar. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 609,508 Germany Feb. 16, 1935 

